Good Intentions
by bailey1ak
Summary: Episode tag for Tracker.  This is how I would have liked to see that episode end.  Ronon/Keller of course.  Written for Intentions Day over at Gateworld.


_**A/N:**__ A tag for the episode Tracker. Some of the dialogue is taken from the end of the episode directly and some of it's tweaked to fit this one-shot. Thanks to those at Gateworld for the transcripts and other helpful information on all things Stargate._

_Also, big, big thank you to ShaViva for the beta. _

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Stargate Atlantis or its wonderful characters.

Spoilers: Through Season 5 episode _Tracker_

**

* * *

Good Intentions**

Sheppard entered the infirmary to check on its newest ward. He'd been disappointed to hear that although Jennifer had been able to disable the tracking device, they were unsure of the Runner, Kiryk's status. All teams would be keeping an eye out for him, as were the inhabitants of the planet Keller had _found_ him on.

Despite having been put in danger, the people on M33-985 were genuinely worried for Kiryk and hoping for his eventual safety. They'd also offered for the young girl with him to come live with them once she was well, citing that she'd have a good home with siblings as well as other children in the village to play with. There was also the unspoken hope that Kiryk might return one day and find Celise living there.

John grinned when he caught sight of the crowd gathered around Celise's bed. He had no doubt that as word spread throughout the expedition that there was a child in the infirmary she wouldn't lack for honorary aunts and uncles. His team and most of the medical staff were already gathered around. Rodney was even guiding her through how to play one of his precious hand-held games.

"Well, how's our little patient?" Sheppard addressed those gathered while his eyes sought out Celise's. He stopped at her beside and gave her a friendly smile.

"Oh, much better. She's a heck of a fighter," Keller offered, proud of the quick turn around in her little charge since being treated on Atlantis.

Sheppard couldn't help but notice the look of annoyance on Celise's face as McKay tried to explain how to play the game. He chuckled internally as he thought how quickly most women came to that same expression when trying to deal with Rodney. "Is he bothering you? 'Cause I can have him removed – forcibly," Sheppard teased. He gave Rodney a quick glance, knowing his words would get his friend's goat, and wanting to temper an outburst with a look that said he was teasing.

"Really?" Celise asked with hope written all over her face.

McKay's eyes met Sheppard's and he gave him an annoyed glare before answering, "Yeah, he's kidding."

Rodney's quick glance at Dr. Keller to gage her reaction to the ribbing didn't go unnoticed by John. He wondered if anything had transpired on the mission before Jennifer was kidnapped that brought his team mate's interest to the doctor's attention.

Although it wasn't news to Sheppard, his head turned and he studied Jennifer as she spoke.

"I talked to one of the families on 985 – the woman whose home we visited? She'd love to have Celise come live with them."

John watched her smile at the little girl as she said it, noting that Dr. Keller was quite pretty and her patience would be an asset if she and Rodney ever did find themselves in a relationship.

"Will I see Kiryk again?" Celise asked.

"I don't know, sweetheart." Jennifer looked across the bed at McKay, then over to Sheppard, not knowing how optimistic she should be about Kiryk.

Sheppard intervened, "We're still looking for him, keeping our eyes and ears open." He gave her a reassuring smile.

"Hey," Ronon spoke up. "I brought you something. I think you dropped this in the woods," he said pulling something from behind his back and handing it to the little girl.

"My doll!" the little girl exclaimed, cradling the worn doll to her chest.

Sheppard watched Jennifer smile gratefully at Ronon taking in the smiles on the faces of all the adults happy for the little girl. When his eyes landed on McKay John noticed him frown as the scientist watched Jennifer interacting with Ronon beside her.

The man obviously had it bad and his jealousy was showing. John wasn't sure though that McKay had the confidence to actually step up and say something to Jennifer about his feelings toward her.

After a few more minutes of visiting with Celise, Sheppard watched Jennifer make her excuses and slip away from the group. He loitered a few more moments with his team before making his own excuses and leaving the infirmary.

"Are you going to quarters or the mess hall?" Sheppard asked once he'd caught up with Keller near the transporter.

"Quarters. And you Colonel?"

"Quarters," he stated as he walked into the transporter after her. Once they exited, he walked a few steps before deciding it was time to either say what he'd followed her to say or decide to keep out of it completely.

"Dr. Keller, can I talk to you about something?" John asked, unable to keep the uncertainly from his voice.

Jennifer stopped and turned toward him, a look of concern on her face, but instead of saying something she just nodded.

"Um… well see, I wasn't sure if you were aware of something and I kind of thought that if you were _made_ aware…," John looked over her shoulder at the wall of the hallway as he let the sentence hang. He sounded like a fumbling teenager about to ask her on a date, which wasn't what he'd been going for.

"Actually," Sheppard continued, "I'm not sure what I thought your being _made aware_ would do." He smiled at her with a deprecating grin.

"Colonel, you know you could just say whatever it is." Jennifer winced a little at the end of her words. She had a feeling whatever was on his mind was going to make her uncomfortable.

"Actually it's no concern of mine," he began, and then decided to just plunge ahead. "But he's a team mate and I just wanted to hint to you that he is trying to show some interest…"

When she didn't say anything John ran his hand through his hair, acknowledging to himself that he was probably not conveying his thoughts well and cursing himself for intervening in the first place. "But he might not be obvious enough about it for you to notice. I know _I_ didn't pick up on it at first and _I'm_ the team leader. But surely with him volunteering to be on missions that you're on, even on his day off, it would've caught your attention?" He finished the sentence so that it sounded like a question, realizing that he was rambling.

Jennifer felt her face begin to flush and she looked to the ground. She'd been prepared for an embarrassing health related question. Some of the expedition personnel had cornered her before to ask such questions hoping to alleviate any embarrassment in the infirmary. They usually quickly realized that talking to a doctor in the infirmary is much easier than a woman in the hallway. About halfway through any questions they typically noticed the distinction and their regret was always noticeable, although she tried to pretend it was no big deal.

This she'd not been prepared for. "Um, Colonel… I'm not quite sure what to say."

"And I suppose pretending I didn't say anything and going about our own business is out of the question at this point?"

He had such a hopeful look on his face, that added to the desperation in his voice, left her unable to not grin at him. "That was way more uncomfortable for you than me. I think I get the gist of what you're trying to say."

She had to then laugh out loud at his obvious desire to walk away and her own nervousness.

"Okay, then," John dragged out. "I'll just… go."

Jennifer nodded at him, her blush still flushing her face. After a step or two Jennifer stopped him.

"Colonel?"

He looked at her expectantly.

"I know you meant well. You're a good leader… and friend."

John nodded with a smirk before heading out. That ought to teach him to keep his mouth shut about things that were none of his business.

* * *

Jennifer couldn't get John's words to excise from her brain. If she'd understood him correctly one of his team mate's was interested in her. Although_ interested_ was a bit vague, it still made her breath catch a little at the thought.

She couldn't say she hadn't thought about John's team mate in _that_ way. She actually had on many, many occasions, but it was something that she played with in her head or dreams, not something she said out loud, and definitely not something she wanted to discuss with Colonel Sheppard.

Jennifer finished tying her tennis shoes and checked herself in the mirror, trying not to acknowledge the spark of hope burning inside her. She was almost running late tonight for her standing sparring lesson with Ronon. She wasn't sure with everything that'd happened off world with Kiryk and such that Ronon would actually keep their appointment, but she suddenly had some energy to burn and sparring would certainly do that.

As Jenn moved through the halls she continued to mull over her new knowledge and wondered if she'd be able to determine if what John said was true. She could continue as if she hadn't heard anything and just see what transpired or she could confront him and just ask. Of course the second option made her extremely uncomfortable to even consider… and really how would you word that? Hopefully better than Sheppard had.

With her mind elsewhere as she made her way to the gym Jennifer almost ran smack into Rodney coming from the opposite direction.

She placed her hand on her chest to calm her breathing, "I'm so sorry, Rodney." She laughed a little at herself nervously. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

"That's okay," Rodney nervously reassured her, cramming his hands in his pockets, obviously not knowing what to say next.

After a moment of silence Jennifer jumped in to fill the void, "Actually it's good I ran into you." She motioned for Rodney to fall into step with her as she turned into the gym. She saw Ronon was already there warming up and lifted her voice so she could include them both in what she was going to say.

"I'm glad you're both here. I wanted to thank you both again for coming to my rescue. Without the two of you there I don't know that Celise and I would've made it. Hopefully Kiryk was just as successful at shaking the Wraith from his tail."

Ronon inclined his head in her direction by way of acknowledgment.

"No problem," Rodney quickly assured her. "So, um, are you out for a run?" he asked while taking in her attire for the first time.

"No," she said smiling at him, "this is the usual time for my sparring lessons with Ronon."

He remembered her telling him about the sparring lessons earlier that day when she held off a Wraith with a stick, giving him time to reload his gun. McKay suddenly felt like a third wheel. "Well, I'll leave you two to it then." He turned and began to walk back toward the door.

"Did you need anything Rodney?" Jennifer asked with concern.

McKay took a glance at Ronon before looking back at Jennifer. "No, nothing that can't wait till later. I'm late getting back to my lab anyway." Rodney made a hasty exit, not wanting to have to answer any other questions. His true reason for coming to the gym had been to clarify a few things with Ronon. He discouragingly felt that those questions might have just been answered without him even voicing the questions aloud.

* * *

Jennifer took a long time to warm up, distracted by the thoughts she was trying to sort in her head. "I need to ask you something," she nervously stated as she took a step toward him, finally ready to spar.

"What?" Ronon asked, continuing to twirl a fighting stick as if in the presence of an unseen enemy.

Jenn took a deep breath and let it out slowly before looking up at him, "Okay, here's the thing… I've been thinking and, uh, I need to know your intentions." Jennifer's eyes quickly sought the floor as she began to damn the hope that had made her so bold.

"Intentions?" he automatically asked, preoccupied by Keller's obvious discomfort.

She looked up at Ronon and shifted from foot to foot, trying to figure out how to explain without losing any more of her dignity. "Umm…"

"I don't have any intentions," he assured her, stilling his movements.

"Oh! Okay." Jenn turned away, "Good," she added, looking around the room for another fighting stick, glad for the excuse to not have to meet his eyes just yet. She could feel the heat in her cheeks for her own foolishness in thinking he'd harbor any feeling towards her.

"Wait," Ronon called, feeling as if this moment was suddenly one of the most important of his life. He waited until Jennifer turned back, "What d'you mean by intentions?"

_And we're right back to awkward again_. "I mean… are you interested in me, in a… umm… romantic fashion?" Jenn asked with a cringe.

Caught off guard, Ronon quickly answered, "No," his instinct to protect himself, even his heart, automatic.

"Good," Jennifer replied, turning and searching the other half of the room for the elusive fighting stick. She hoped that the sparring would distract him from what she'd asked. Jenn wished for him to never know how hopeful she'd felt while awaiting his answer and how numb she now felt having her answer.

"Wait," Ronon called again with slight resignation in his voice. He was no longer a runner, the need to guard himself and protect others from himself no longer necessary. Today may have been a reminder of what he'd been, but it was also a reminder of how far he'd come. He'd survived the odds of being a runner, found a new home and possibly even someone he could see himself sharing a future with.

"What?" Jennifer asked, her voice so quiet she figured she might have to say it again.

Ronon put one end of the stick on the floor and leaned on the top of it. "Maybe I do… have intentions," he admitted, looking at her face, his head bowed slightly.

"Oh," she responded, a little startled at his admission. Jenn realized that she hadn't expected him to answer the question so plainly, which in turn made her wonder why she'd even asked.

"Do you have intentions?" he asked, turning the question on her. He wanted to let his hope fly with this turn of events, but reined it in, waiting for her confirmation.

Jennifer peeked up at him, then focused her gaze over his shoulder, self consciousness slamming into her. "Yes… well," she saw the stick she'd been searching for finally across the room, "of course I do, that's why I was asking you."

Jenn had tried for nonchalance but she feared she'd failed. She moved to retrieve the discarded stick behind him, her fight or flight response becoming quite literal in its demands on her body.

As she started to slide by him, Ronon swung his fighting stick around effectively blocking her movement. "So what are we gonna do about it?"

Jennifer felt the breath catch in her chest as she stared at the stick blocking her forward movement. He was interested in her, the concept felt foreign and yet wasn't new to her. She'd seen it in his eyes many times, his actions hinting at something more, but Jenn hadn't been brave enough to acknowledge what it meant… until now.

"I don't know," she said before looking from the stick to his face. Ronon's eyes were filled with mischief and confidence and she couldn't help but tease him, emboldened by the confidence she now felt after their confessions. "Well, I'm not going to fight you now, if that's what you think," Jenn delivered with little emotion tingeing her voice as she pointedly looked at the fighting stick still blocking her path.

When she looked back up at his face she saw his expression falter and she couldn't keep from letting her grin show. "I'm not going to step aside either," she said, turning to face him more squarely. "So we're just…"

It only took Ronon a moment for her words to sink in and his mind to process that she was teasing him, as well as challenging him. He felt the familiar inability to take a deep breath in her presence that he usually experienced, but this time with a joy that seemed uncontainable.

It might have been heightened because he nearly lost her today, or maybe because he'd finally been assured she returned his feelings. Probably both mixed with the added pull of her boldness standing in front of him now, daring him to do something about it. Without letting her finish her sentence he let the stick he was holding drop and with a playful growl, took a step forward, sweeping her up into his arms.

He lifted her high, his eyes locking with hers and not wavering. He could see her answering smoky stare as he slid her slowly down his body. He felt her legs wrap around his middle and her arms move around his neck while she maintained eye contact. Ronon was sure he could stand like this forever, content to see and feel her acceptance and the need of him in her eyes, until he witnessed her eyes shift to his mouth for a split second and he was lost, his lips capturing hers in a fierce kiss that only deepened as she kissed him back.

* * *

Colonel Sheppard left the transport and headed for the gym knowing he was excessively early for his sparring session with Ronon, but it probably didn't matter. The former runner typically haunted the gym when he wasn't in the mess hall or the infirmary so he was fairly confident he'd find Ronon already warmed up waiting for someone to spar with.

Sheppard walked through the doors of the gym and came to an abrupt stop. Ronon was indeed in the gym, but not alone. He was standing with Dr. Keller wrapped firmly around his upper body. Both seemed oblivious to him as they kissed passionately in the middle of the room.

John backed out and moved away from the doorway to stay out of view as his mind caught up with what his eyes had just seen. _Well, next time maybe I should be more specific with Dr. Keller about which team mate we're talking about_, he thought to himself.

The longer John thought about it though the more sense it made. He acknowledged that Ronon had been volunteering for missions Jennifer was on for a long time now. He'd of course just assumed it was restlessness on the warrior's part and a need to protect. It also explained the Satedan's constant presence in the infirmary, both with and without injuries.

Sheppard took one more peek into the gym, still in a bit of shock at what he'd learned. His first glance found the gym floor empty, but movement to the left caught his attention and he watched Ronon walking them toward the bench on the side of the room, clearly unconcerned about any intrusion or who might catch them.

Thinking about the ramifications, John made a decision to go find Rodney. He knew he was again sticking his nose into business that wasn't his. Sheppard also knew that finding out the girl you liked was interested and involved with someone else was _always_ better to hear from your best friend. Maybe they could go grab drinks after. If McKay seemed really depressed he could even offer to play that monotonous 'prime/not prime' game of Rodney's… even turn it into a drinking game to up the stakes a little.

* * *

Once Ronon settled himself on a bench in the gym he felt Jennifer moving to extract herself from his lap. He gently laid a hand on each thigh to stop her movement. Her eyes met his with a touch of worry in them.

"The door is open, Ronon. Anyone could walk in."

"You don't want anyone to see us?" he asked, trying not to show any anxiousness over her answer.

Jenn blushed at the thought of someone catching them, but she knew that wasn't what he was actually asking. "I might be embarrassed if someone sees us kissing, especially in such an intimate way," she said, looking down at her legs straddling him. She felt her cheeks grow even warmer as she pictured how they'd look to others. "But I'm not ashamed of you or of being with you. Maybe still a little surprised that you're interested in me, but I'll get over that."

Ronon ginned at her flushed answer and found her discomfort endearing, "You took me by surprise tonight too... but a good surprise."

"And as far as public displays of affection are concerned," Jennifer added with a look of resignation on her face, "they may make me a little uncomfortable, but if we're caught it will hurry the damned rumor mill along so that we can become old news faster." She looked into his eyes for a few minutes and let the thought of them being together sink in a little more as her expression returned to a grin.

Ronon watched her expression turn from happiness to playfulness, her eyes fairly dancing, and it pulled hard in the vicinity of his heart.

"So," she asked with a raised eyebrow, "how long do you think it will take for someone to happen upon us?"

"A while," he said with a wolfish grin that sent her into a fit of laughter.

"We could move to a hallway with a bit more traffic," she teased.

"Right here works for me," he warned her, his eyes becoming more predatory.

"Me too," she agreed, leaning in and kissing him gently. The kiss moved into another and another, all at a lazier pace, full of exploration and intent.

* * *

_**A/N2:**__ This was written for the Intentions Day celebration today over on the Gateworld Forum for Ronon Dex/Jennifer Keller Appreciation/Ship/Discussion (Doctor & Wild Man). Come on over and help celebrate our favorite couple now or anytime. _

_Hope you enjoyed the story!_

_www dot gateworld dot net and choose forum, then SGA Characters and Relationships, then Ronon Dex/Jennifer Keller Appreciation/Ship/Discussion (Doctor & Wild Man)._


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